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    FSAE.com Forums    FSAE.com Forums  Hop To Forum Categories  Open FSAE Discussion    Hey guys,How do you adjust your fsae car's center of gravity?
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Posted
I kown 2 ways now:
1. lengthen or shorten the pull/push rod
2.change the initial suppresses of the suspension spring


I don't kown whether these are right or not
please guys tell me more about this

many tks
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of woodsy96
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Are you sure you don't mean ride height (the distance from the ground to the lowest point of the sprung mass(i.e. undertray, chassis))?


"He who dies with the most toys wins"
 
Posts: 64 | Location: Auckland, NZ | Registered: October 08, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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In my opinion,the ride height and the center of gravity are almost the same. Because you can easily adjust one to modify the other one


but want i'd like to know is how to adjust either one of them?

can anyone tell me??
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of Mike Cook
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Oh, in that case, I would like to run my chassis underground please. Kthanksbye.


You should be running your car at the minimum ride height (1").

When you are adjusting your suspension, you usually don't want to preload your spring...So if you are trying to raise ride height, you don't want to keep jacking up the perches until the spring is preloaded. Spring preload takes away rebound travel. In general, you don't want to do this.

Usually, the best way to adjust ride height is with the pushrod. The reason you do it this way is because your bellcrank remains in the designed position. If you move the spring perch the BC moves and you might end up at a different spot on your wheel rate curve.

However, when testing, I will always adjust the spring perches, for two reasons. The adjustments are easier to make, and are easier to measure. Also, you can do the same adjustment to both wheels so you don't add any wedge to the car. Generally, after a test session, if we change the rake angle of the car a lot, I will go back and put the spring perches where they are suppose to be and change the pushrod length to compensate.

Mike
 
Posts: 439 | Location: Maryland | Registered: March 11, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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There is a big problem to adjust the CofG (itself) of a F-SAE car: The lack of minimun weight like in F1.

Since there is no limit for your cars weight you always try to make it as light as possible and we dont use ballast on the bottom of the car to reduce your CofG.

You do change your ride height according to your suspension system set-up (and the methods you said are correct) but not with the proper intention to reduce nor increase your CofG.


Gian Flavio Violi B.
F-SAE USB
 
Posts: 8 | Registered: December 01, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I use a warp bubble set at factor 9 for maximum COG reduction.


University of Oklahoma Alum '09
Sooner Racing Team
Cooling Lead '09
Engine Lead '08
sae.ou.edu

"Remember, if you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem"
 
Posts: 641 | Location: OK | Registered: September 24, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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this is one of the methods we've used in the past



Malcolm Graham
University of Auckland '06-'09
www.fsae.co.nz
 
Posts: 256 | Location: Auckland, NZ | Registered: May 12, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have seen teams with bell cranks that have two attachment points for the push/pull rods on their bell cranks so that they can quickly and dramatically adjust the ride height (ie CoG) of their car for the acceleration event. The placement of the attachment could affect your motion ratio though but for acceleration I don’t know how much that really matters.
 
Posts: 208 | Location: Auburn Hills, Mi | Registered: October 11, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by JamesWolak:
I have seen teams with bell cranks that have two attachment points for the push/pull rods on their bell cranks so that they can quickly and dramatically adjust the ride height (ie CoG) of their car for the acceleration event. The placement of the attachment could affect your motion ratio though but for acceleration I don’t know how much that really matters.


Jamie, the motion ratio change is actually the primary reason for using that kind of bellcrank. Making the car softer in ride will help with traction more than a small increase in CG (for a typical FSAE car).


"Gute Fahrer haben die Fliegenreste auf den Seitenscheiben."
--Walter Röhrl
 
Posts: 448 | Location: Hawthorne, CA | Registered: July 13, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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If you really mean adjustment of the CoG: Just use a simple undertray made of 20mm thick deuterated uranium sheet alloy with a density of 25 like F1 did some years ago Smile

Works fine if you only care about the CoG though Wink


DART Racing e.V., Darmstadt

Alumni
Technical Director Suspension & Brakes 2005-2007
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Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.
Colin Chapman
 
Posts: 102 | Location: Darmstadt | Registered: December 16, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Mike Cook:
Oh, in that case, I would like to run my chassis underground please. Kthanksbye.


You should be running your car at the minimum ride height (1").

When you are adjusting your suspension, you usually don't want to preload your spring...So if you are trying to raise ride height, you don't want to keep jacking up the perches until the spring is preloaded. Spring preload takes away rebound travel. In general, you don't want to do this.

Usually, the best way to adjust ride height is with the pushrod. The reason you do it this way is because your bellcrank remains in the designed position. If you move the spring perch the BC moves and you might end up at a different spot on your wheel rate curve.

However, when testing, I will always adjust the spring perches, for two reasons. The adjustments are easier to make, and are easier to measure. Also, you can do the same adjustment to both wheels so you don't add any wedge to the car. Generally, after a test session, if we change the rake angle of the car a lot, I will go back and put the spring perches where they are suppose to be and change the pushrod length to compensate.

Mike



hi mike
I have something disunderstand to your reply.

when change the pushrod,how can u remain the bellcrank in the designed position?
ie,if you change the length of pushrod,the force affact on the spring should change accordingly. so the spring changes, and the bellcrank changes too. is that right?
or u just ignore the changes caused by this ?
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by GianVioli:
There is a big problem to adjust the CofG (itself) of a F-SAE car: The lack of minimun weight like in F1.

Since there is no limit for your cars weight you always try to make it as light as possible and we dont use ballast on the bottom of the car to reduce your CofG.

what do you mean by the proper intention to change the cog?
can you tell me your method?
You do change your ride height according to your suspension system set-up (and the methods you said are correct) but not with the proper intention to reduce nor increase your CofG.
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by DART-CG:
If you really mean adjustment of the CoG: Just use a simple undertray made of 20mm thick deuterated uranium sheet alloy with a density of 25 like F1 did some years ago Smile

Works fine if you only care about the CoG though Wink



come on man, who want to increase his own weight if he could keep a fitting body?

We actually don't want to add another weight on my car!
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by flavorPacket:
quote:
Originally posted by JamesWolak:
I have seen teams with bell cranks that have two attachment points for the push/pull rods on their bell cranks so that they can quickly and dramatically adjust the ride height (ie CoG) of their car for the acceleration event. The placement of the attachment could affect your motion ratio though but for acceleration I don’t know how much that really matters.


Jamie, the motion ratio change is actually the primary reason for using that kind of bellcrank. Making the car softer in ride will help with traction more than a small increase in CG (for a typical FSAE car).



can I understand like this:
the motion ratio actually relates to the suspension ratio(ie. the stickness of suspension)?
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by MalcolmG:
this is one of the methods we've used in the past



sorry
I don't actually understand the pic you posted.
I can't see clearly how u change the cog.
can you explain it clearly,better with pic

thanks guy
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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what you've got there is 20kg of steel bar bolted to the roll hoop. It changes the CoG height, if you don't understand how then give up.


Malcolm Graham
University of Auckland '06-'09
www.fsae.co.nz
 
Posts: 256 | Location: Auckland, NZ | Registered: May 12, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of Mike Cook
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quote:
Originally posted by lcy1989:


when change the pushrod,how can u remain the bellcrank in the designed position?
ie,if you change the length of pushrod,the force affact on the spring should change accordingly. so the spring changes, and the bellcrank changes too. is that right?
or u just ignore the changes caused by this ?


Icyhott,

Generally, when you change the pushrod length, you are doing so on the left and right side of the car (so that you jack the car up or down, without adding any cross weight (wedge)). If this is true, then changing the pushrod length doesn't change the load on the tire, which means the spring will not deflect any more or less.


----
Mike Cook
It's an engineering competition, not an over-engineering competition!
 
Posts: 439 | Location: Maryland | Registered: March 11, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Damn Ryan. I had no idea that was why. I feel a little silly for thinking that now.

Icy, keep looking at MalcolmG's picture. I missed it the first time i looked at it because it looked like a part of the trailer. Look at what is attached to the roll hoop. Obviously Malcolm is joking around with you.

Edit:I didn't notice that Malcolm posted on this until after i posted. What is that attachement really for? Transporting the car?
 
Posts: 208 | Location: Auburn Hills, Mi | Registered: October 11, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Mike Cook:
quote:
Originally posted by lcy1989:


when change the pushrod,how can u remain the bellcrank in the designed position?
ie,if you change the length of pushrod,the force affact on the spring should change accordingly. so the spring changes, and the bellcrank changes too. is that right?
or u just ignore the changes caused by this ?


Icyhott,

Generally, when you change the pushrod length, you are doing so on the left and right side of the car (so that you jack the car up or down, without adding any cross weight (wedge)). If this is true, then changing the pushrod length doesn't change the load on the tire, which means the spring will not deflect any more or less.



but the angle between pushrod and bellcrank changes,which means the arm of force changes,and the load on tire is constant (I kown this),so the force of spring will have to change
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by JamesWolak:
Damn Ryan. I had no idea that was why. I feel a little silly for thinking that now.

Icy, keep looking at MalcolmG's picture. I missed it the first time i looked at it because it looked like a part of the trailer. Look at what is attached to the roll hoop. Obviously Malcolm is joking around with you.

Edit:I didn't notice that Malcolm posted on this until after i posted. What is that attachement really for? Transporting the car?


I didn't understand the pic either. the trailer u thought is attached on the roll hoop,so the car is not suspended. I thingk Malcolm's pic is posted on the wrong place and has nothing to do with the topic.

what do you think ?
 
Posts: 14 | Registered: February 26, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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